Compact vacuum pump

Abstract

A vacuum pump capable of pumping solid, liquid and gas, or any combination thereof, including a drive ( 40 ) and a manually disengageable pumping system connected thereto. The pumping system is composed of a two- or three-chambered canister ( 1, 18, 21 ) within which solids, liquids, and gases can be separated from one another. A highly flexible diaphragm ( 24 ), attached to the canister and sealed against it circumferentially, facilitates this separation, when reciprocating and pumping. The components of the pumping system are designed to be disposable, and the two- or three-chambered canister provides for a highly efficient pumping system that is significantly smaller in size than those previously known. The pump is particularly useful for medical applications.

1. A vacuum system for suctioning matter, comprising:
 a pump having a pump inlet and a pump outlet, 
 a matter collecting chamber having a chamber inlet and a chamber outlet, said collecting chamber being integrally connected to said pump such that said chamber outlet is integral with said pump inlet, said chamber inlet being adapted for enabling matter to be sucked thereinto; 
 said collecting chamber being adapted for receiving the matter pumped thereto by the action of said pump when said pump is in operation, 
 wherein said vacuum pump comprises a disposable pump unit including said pump inlet and said pump outlet, and said pump unit is detachably attachable to a drive unit, and wherein said pump unit comprises a flexible diaphragm secured to a pump portion comprising said matter collecting chamber, said matter collecting chamber further defining said pump inlet and said pump outlet to form a pumping chamber adapted to expand and contract for pumping by two-way forced reciprocating movement of said diaphragm; and wherein said drive unit is detachably engagable with said pump and comprises a motor and a driving element configured to produce said reciprocating movement in said diaphragm to expand and contract said pumping chamber, wherein said drive unit is operated as a non-disposable drive unit. 
 
   
   
     2. The vacuum system of  claim 1 , wherein said flexible diaphragm is sealed to said pump portion around a circumference of said diaphragm, and wherein said pump portion includes a rigid part and said diaphragm cooperates with said rigid part to form said pumping chamber, and wherein said diaphragm is sealed around a periphery thereof to said rigid part. 
   
   
     3. The vacuum system of  claim 2 , wherein said rigid part has a concave surface facing said diaphragm and defining therewith said pumping chamber, and wherein the reciprocating movement produced by said drive unit alternately pushes said diaphragm into contact with said concave surface to empty said pumping chamber.